Ira Schoffel of the Tallahassee Democrat just published this report about FSU's BOT meeting to discuss coaching hires, and to discuss how coaches are paid.

Basically, there is some legislative red tape that lumps coaches in with other employees of state universities. Specifically, HB 5201, which makes it so state employees can receive no more than 20 weeks of severance pay.

Effect of Changes

The bill revises severance pay language for colleges and universities to conform to s. 215.425, F.S., providing that on or after July 1, 2011, a unit of government that enters into a contract or employment agreement, or renewal or renegotiation of an existing contract or employment agreement, that contains a provision for severance pay with an officer, agent, employee, or contractor must include the following provisions in the contract:

• A requirement that severance pay provided may not exceed an amount greater than 20 weeks of compensation.
• A prohibition of provision of severance pay when the officer, agent, employee, or contractor has been fired for misconduct, as defined in s. 443.036(29), F.S., by the unit of government.

An officer, agent, employee, or contractor may receive severance pay that is not provided for in a contract or employment agreement if the severance pay represents the settlement of an employment dispute. Such severance pay may not exceed an amount greater than 6 weeks of compensation. The settlement may not include provisions that limit the ability of any party to the settlement to discuss the dispute or settlement.

They'll have to finagle some legal maneuver around this, obviously, because there is no way a coach would sign a deal for that paltry sum of severance. Expect it to get done, perhaps with a quasi-public organization that is outside of the state law, like UF has, as Schoffel's article suggests.